Dr. Kent Stribling retires after growing family practice

After more than four decades of serving the Philadelphia community, Dr. Kent Stribling is preparing for life beyond his optometry practice.

“I’ll miss it, but I’m ready,” Stribling said. “I’ve been fortunate to be very healthy. There was almost no time over 40 years that I’ve missed because of being sick.”

Stribling said he looks forward to spending more time with his family, traveling, and hunting. He and his wife, Mitze, have three sons, Taylor, Tyson, and Trent, and will welcome their fifth grandchild in July.

Stribling is a 1983 graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry. He began practicing in Philadelphia that same year, joining his father, Dr. Richard G. “Dick” Stribling.

“I knew I wanted to come back to Philadelphia,” he said. “I worked with my dad for over 10 years, and he was fun to work with. It seemed like those years just blew by.”

Now, with Stribling retiring, his son Trent will carry on the family tradition. Trent has been practicing in Philadelphia since 2019, making him the third generation of his family in the profession.

“I’ve caught it on the front end and the back end,” Stribling said. “It’s been a blast with Trent, watching him grow and really get into the swing of things. It’s a special thing when one of your children works with you.”

Stribling said one of his proudest achievements was becoming a partner in Louisville Eye Care with Dr. Gil Davis in 1999—the first step toward what would become the Mississippi Eye Care network.

He went from a clinic on Church Avenue in downtown Philadelphia that only had two exam rooms to over 10 clinics and 100-plus employees.

“You couldn’t ask for a better partner,” he said. “Gil has been a true friend. I couldn’t have found someone who mirrored my thoughts and practice style more than what Gil has. It’s been a real blessing.”

Not long after acquiring the Louisville clinic, Stribling and Davis began working with several young part-time doctors. Dr. Jacob Ivy joined the team before they launched a clinic in Macon a year later, originally based in the Noxubee hospital.

In 2008, momentum grew when Stribling and Davis purchased an eye clinic in Union from the late Dr. L.B. Adkins. Around that time, Dr. Emily Fleming also joined the practice.

Today, Mississippi Eye Care has locations in Philadelphia, Louisville, Union, Macon, Carthage, Meridian, Bay Springs, Ackerman, Newton, Taylor, and three clinics in Starkville. Many of these clinics were acquired from retiring doctors.

“We’ve got a close group of doctors,” Stribling said. “I may not see all of them but once a month, but it’s been enjoyable watching them grow and develop.”

Reflecting on his legacy, Stribling hopes people remember his hard work and his commitment to care and quality.

“I’m proud of Mississippi Eye Care,” he said. “It’s come a long way and is still growing. We’ve got a great group of folks that run the corporate part of it for us. We couldn’t do it without them.”

In addition to his professional work, Stribling has also played an active role in the community. Over the years, he’s formed lasting friendships not only through optometry but also through community involvement.

He has served on the Philadelphia-Neshoba County Park Commission since 2002; was president of the Chamber of Commerce from 1999–2000; president of the Sertoma Club in 1990; a United Way board member from 1986–1992 and Funds Chairman from 1991–1992; a board member of the county Forestry Association from 2006–2010; and has served on the First Methodist Church Leadership Team and Allocations Committee since 2006.

“Over the last 25 years, Gil and I have been involved in several groups and organizations on a national level in optometry that have let us travel and connect with a world of people,” he said. “A lot of those connections have benefited us in how we’ve practiced and how we’ve grown this organization—It’s been pretty fun.”